1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to paging networks, and in particular to techniques for constructing and maintaining databases within portable communication devices such as, in particular, a paging receiver.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A present, paging networks allow for a limited amount of numeric or alphanumeric data to be exchanged between a page-originating communicant and a page-receiving communicant. Frequently, the page-originating communicant utilizes a telephone which has a number which is not familiar to the page-receiving communicant. The page is transmitted in the form of a page announce, and numeric or alphanumeric data which is displayed on the display of the portable paging device. Under these circumstances, the page-receiving communicant is unable to ascertain the identity of the page-originating communicant.
This situation is undesirable, since the page-receiving communicant may ignore or defer returning the telephone call, under the mistaken belief that the page-originating communicant is an unknown entity. This presents problems for paging networks, particularly paging networks which include the transmission of only numeric data.
It is one objective of the present invention to provide a paging device which includes a database with a plurality of fields which identify information pertaining to particular potential communicants. For example, such information may include communicant""s telephone numbers, communicant""s fax numbers, communicant""s addresses, as well as any associated notification information which determines the type of page announce provided to the page-receiving communicant upon receipt of the page. In accordance with the present invention, caller identification information is transferred from a telephone network which is utilized to communicate with paging center, automatically, and is forwarded via the radio frequency communication link to the portable communication device. At least one of the numeric data and/or alphanumeric data in the caller identification information is analyzed and compared with data maintained within the fields of the plurality of fields of the database. Either the caller identification information or page-requesting communicant inputted information is utilized to provide some type of identification of the potential communicant. Identifying information may be withdrawn or derived from the data in the plurality of fields, and/or the data communicated with the page request, in a manner which communicates useful information to the page-receiving communicant.
In accordance with the present invention, the database maintained within the paging receiver must be intermittently or periodically updated, modified, or refreshed in a manner which maintains accurate and current data which can be utilized to generate one or more displays to identify a potential communicant. Data is communicated either via a serial or parallel hardwire link, an infrared communication linkage, or a radio frequency communication linkage. In one particular embodiment, a plurality of communicant cards are produced and distributed to allow potential communications to identify their telephone numbers, names, and addresses, as well as any particular alphanumeric coded information they may utilize in communicating with the paging equipment owner. The cards are gathered and either manually or automatically entered into a database which is periodically communicated to the paging receiver via a radio frequency communication link.
In one final aspect of the present invention, an optional calendar may be provided within the paging device, which includes fields associated with particular dates. The fields may be filled with information utilizing one or more of the data communication techniques discussed above. The pager may be programmed with an internal clock (and calendar) which automatically prompts the page equipment owner of an appointment or scheduled event. This information may likewise be communicated in mass or intermittently via one or more of the communication techniques described above.
Additional objectives, features and advantages will be apparent in the written description which follows.